For a lot of people, there are two particularly stressful components of a church service: the offering and the altar call.
For people who have been members of churches that were aggressive when it came to raising funds or an offering, the offering can be stressful. There are also people who want to give, but lack the capacity to do so. Or perhaps, they lack the capacity to give at the level the minister is requesting. In sum, for a lot of reasons, the offering can be anxiety-ridden.
The next thing that can be stressful at church is the altar call. The altar call is the period – typically at the end of the service – where the pastor or minister invites people to come up and give their lives to Christ. Some people are thinking about their mistakes and wondering if they should go to the front of the church. Some people are embarrassed.
Others don’t want the people around them to know they’ve made a mistake, need to repent, or aren’t saved. Some people are wondering if they need to stand for the altar call, and whether anyone will stand with them. If you’ve ever been a member of a church that peddled in fear and shame, the altar call can be triggering.
For these reasons, ministers should be especially sensitive and careful in these two situations – the offering and the altar call. This is why the now viral video of Marvin Sapp telling ushers to ‘close the doors,’ while he attempted to raise $40,000 at a fall 2024 church conference was so shocking.
God Loves a Cheerful Giver
There are so many challenges with his alleged comments. First, the bible is clear that God loves a cheerful giver. In 2 Corinthians 9:7, the bible says that “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
If a person is being pressured to give a certain amount, and they oblige, shouldn’t that be construed as giving out of a sense of compulsion or threat of getting in trouble with God? In the Black church and in many evangelical churches, there is a certain degree of deference to clergy. There is a power imbalance in many places of worship between the congregants and the pastoral team such that many people may feel like they can’t say no to a request from a minister or pastor.
If Sapp’s shakedown happened in any other context, many people would be upset. I therefore understand the furor that Sapp’s words have created.
Culture of Giving
Additionally, most people will give to the offering when they go to church if they respect the pastor and church. Separately, as a people, Black people tend to be very giving. According to Tides, “African American families have—more than any other racial group—contributed the largest portion of their wealth to charity.”
It is unnecessary to browbeat people into giving. They’ll give if they believe in the mission and if they have the means to do so. Moreover, no one wants to feel like they’ve been accosted by an aggressive car salesman in church.
Sapp’s repeated commands to the ushers to “close the doors,” could be interpreted to mean that people couldn’t leave until they’d contributed to the offering. If there were an emergency, people could struggle to get out. Also, at what point does a command like “close the doors,” cross the line and become holding people against their will?
Out of Context?
When some leaders get called out for questionable actions, it’s not uncommon to hear them say that their words were taken out of context. They might say that the public is pronouncing judgment without knowing the full story. If you’re a leader, part of your job is also to anticipate the headlines that could arise from your behavior and act accordingly. Your job is also to carefully steward your leadership and power.
Don’t Be Discouraged
Church scandals can be disappointing. They can discourage believers and non-believers alike. But isn’t this the ultimate plan of the enemy? Some people will see this situation and say, ‘this is why I don’t go to church.’ The task is to refuse to be disconnected from God. Every place is not for every person. The key is to find a church or faith community where you feel physically, emotionally and spiritually safe. Look for communities that are bible-based and focused on building Godly communities.
In conclusion, I’m clear that anyone can make a mistake. Anyone can get too comfortable and say something they shouldn’t. Anyone can have a bad interview or bad public appearance. The task is to be careful of the drip, drip, drip of negative stories. At some point, those things will impact a person’s brand or leadership.
Jennifer R. Farmer, aka The PR Whisperer®, is an author, lecturer and strategic communications expert. Check out our blog posts and subscribe for updates.